1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to moving web cleaning apparatus, particularly suitable for cleaning moving paper, paper board and cardboard webs prior to printing for removing dust shavings and loose and embedded contaminants from substrate surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the manufacture or processing of moving substrate surfaces such as webs of paper, paper board, cardboard, fabric and the like, the surface of the web will pick up dust, fiber particles, slitter shavings, scrapings, and other loose or embedded contaminants. If the webs are to be printed, painted or otherwise coated, such surface contaminants will interfere with the coating process significantly reducing the printing or coating quality, resulting in rejects. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to clean the surface of webs prior to subsequent processing, such as printing, in order to achieve the highest quality.
In the past, webs have been cleaned by blasts of air, vacuum, vibration, or other processes such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,105,256 ; 4,982,469; and 5,349,714. However, prior web cleaning systems have not achieved the efficiency and quality desirable as needed to consistently produce excellent printed surfaces, such as used in the packaging art, box making and the like wherein printing standards are high.
The most common web cleaning apparatus utilizes jets of air or vacuum to dislodge loose contaminants from the web substrate, but many particles are sufficiently embedded in the web as to not be removable by this means.
It is known to clean surfaces, such as fabric, clothing and the like, by using a tacky material, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,624,060 and 2,755,494, and while such tacky cleaning surfaces are capable of effectively picking up lint, dust and the like, the efficiency of the cleaning device diminishes with usage as the tacky surface becomes covered with the loose particles being picked up eventually rendering the tacky material incapable of functioning.
Previously, web cleaning apparatus capable of high speed production has not been available for effectively cleaning rapidly moving webs using a wiping technique wherein the engagement of the cleaning material with the web produces sufficient mechanical action to remove embedded contaminants.